In this episode of ACS Portfolio Perspective, Andrew Pace sits down with Reid Raykovich, CEO of the Certified Lease & Finance Professional (CLFP) Foundation, to explore how education, ethics, and professional standards are shaping the future of equipment finance.

Reid shares the remarkable story of how the CLFP Foundation evolved from a struggling organization with limited resources into the industry’s leading certification body. Under her leadership, the CLFP community has grown more than tenfold while maintaining a strong commitment to professionalism and ethical standards.

The conversation dives into the value of certification, the power of community within the CLFP network, and the role of education in strengthening the equipment finance industry. Reid also discusses the Foundation’s recent affiliation with ELFA, its expansion into international markets, and new initiatives to introduce equipment finance to the next generation of professionals through university partnerships and micro-credential programs.

Key Topics Discussed:

• The turnaround and transformation of the CLFP Foundation
• Why ethics and professional standards matter in equipment finance
• The real value of the CLFP designation for industry professionals
• Building a strong professional community through certification
• The role of volunteers in scaling the CLFP Foundation
• The new affiliation between the CLFP Foundation and ELFA
• Expanding CLFP internationally in Canada, Australia, and the UK
• ANSI accreditation and its potential impact on industry credibility
• Bringing equipment finance education into universities
• Creating specialized credentials for niche areas of equipment finance

Notable Takeaways:

“Something I'm really proud of is we’ve grown from about 150 members to nearly 1,800 today.”

“Professionalism, ethics, recognition, and knowledge — that’s really why people pursue the CLFP designation.”

“If too many people are passing, then it’s not rigorous enough.”

“Our mission is building a better commercial equipment finance industry one individual at a time.” 

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